The more I think about Saturday's encounter with a Grasshopper Warbler, the more pleased I am with the outcome. I was also able to add another species to my gallery of Devon Birds which now numbers 206. I was struck by the similarity of behaviour with that of Dartford Warbler, both species suddenly perching on an exposed perch after being very secretive prior to that.

Without doubt, the way to find a Grasshopper Warbler is to listen very carefully for the very distinctive and unique song which is unlike any other species. As the name suggests, the call is very similar to the "chirping" of a grasshopper, a sound that we have all heard at some time or other. I wonder how often we have heard a Grasshopper Warbler but mistaken it for the insect?

The round tail is a nice feature  and the dark brown regular markings on the back and on the lower flanks are distinctive. 

The song of the Grasshopper Warbler is delivered from an exposed perch and has a ventriloquy quality.  When I heard this one on Saturday I couldn't pinpoint where it was singing from at first and it was quite a surprise to see how close it was to me.

It flew from the first perch to one even nearer to me which was a big surprise. I have read that this is normal behaviour and they can be easy to get close to when they are singing.